


The Workshop

by TheGriefPolice



Series: How Tony Became a Gibbs [2]
Category: NCIS
Genre: BAMF, Boats, Broken Bones, Finding a new home, Gibbs is a BAMF, Gibbs is litterllay so sweet, Hurt/Comfort, Kid Tony, Mentions of past abuse, Nightmares, Oreos, Platonic Cuddling, Tony can do stuff, Wood craft, art therapy, hes still a BAMF though, i have to make him sweet, im sorry, its helping him so much guys, more to tags to come, selctive muteisum, so much cuddling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-31
Updated: 2017-04-03
Packaged: 2018-10-13 05:25:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10507167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGriefPolice/pseuds/TheGriefPolice
Summary: Tony's been having a hard time settling in with the Gibbses. And the fact that he's not talking isn't helping. But Gibbs finds out the kid actually has some talent for word work after taking him to the basement. And he seems to be coming out of his shell little by little.Directly after "The Begining," so I recommend to read that first, but you don't have to.OrThe one where Tony finds out his father was a cock-sucking cunt and he shouldn't listen to a damn thing the man ever said. And that it's okay to want a hug every now and then.





	1. The Night of Firsts

**Author's Note:**

> Hey yo!  
> Part two, chapter one! Not sure how many are going to go into this, but I'm not thinking more than about three. I'll keep you posted.
> 
> WARNING: there are mentions of past abuse. Nothing occurs on-screen this time, but if that triggers you, please do not read.

The Wood Shop

The sound of tossing blankets could be heard from Tony's room when Gibbs passed by late at night. It had been nearly a week since what Shannon was calling the "incident." They never talked about it around Tony, but Gibbs knew better than to think the boy didn't know they talked.

Tony, however, didn't seem to want to talk at all. They hadn't been able to get so much as a word out of the boy since the first day. The spark of annoying cockiness he'd had the first time Gibbs met him was gone and in its place was just an observant look. He took in everything but seemed afraid to react with the world. And, to be honest, Gibbs couldn't blame him.

But this was something Gibbs was not informed of. He opened the door to the boy's room a tad more and looked inside to find Tony tossing around. Gibbs was well aware of that look on the boy's sleeping face. Pure and unadulterated terror.

Gibbs stepped into the room, setting his coffee mug on the dresser as he walked to the boy. "Tony," he stage whispered. When that didn't wake the boy after several try's, Gibbs leaned in to rest a hand on the boy's shoulder and shake him gently.

"Tony, bud, it's just a dream." Gibbs said quietly. "Wake up."

Tony's eyes snapped open, darting around the room and trying to sort out where he was. When they landed on Gibbs's face, realization struck and tears pooled in Tony's eyes.

"Hey, hey," Gibbs cooed, pulling the boy into a hug. "It's okay. It was just a dream. You're safe now, yeah. With me and Shannon and everyone looking out for you?"

There was another thing Gibbs was worried about: Tony never sought out physical interactions. No eight-year-old should be able to go through a broken arm without some kind of comfort seeking. But Tony just stood there as if he was perfectly okay. 

But, the second you convinced him to let you hug him, he never seemed to want to let go. It was as if that would be the last hug he would ever get, and it had broken Sharron's heart on many occasions.

So Gibbs was, by no means, surprised when Tony grabbed a fistful of his shirt and squeezed his eyes closed in the hug.

"It was just a dream, bud." Gibbs repeated, patting Tony's back softly.

Tony's head nodded. He knew that. He knew it was over. But his heart was racing too fast and everything felt too real. He didn't care that he was supposed to be strong right then, didn't care as tears fell from his eyes. His father would have his neck if he ever found out, but, for some reason, Tony didn't think Gibbs was the kind to rat someone out.

"Hey, I've got an idea," Gibbs spoke when the tears died down and turned into nothing more than sniffles. "Why don't we go see if there are any cookies left in the kitchen and some milk? We can take your medicine too and have it over with."

Tony nodded his head, thinking that anything was better than having to go back to sleep right then. And his arm did kind of hurt from all the trashing around.

Gibbs smiled and stood, taking Tony's hand in his as he lead the boy downstairs. 

And that was something Tony couldn't help but gawk at the whole way. Gibbs's hand was soft and yet firm. It showed years of using his hands for hard work but with a kindness to them, and it was really the first time he'd held the man's hand. Or anyone's, for that matter. He kind of liked it.

Gibbs saw the stare out of the corner of his eye, a smile playing at the side of his lips at the boy's pleased face.

He decided to not let go just yet as he dug through the cabinets for Oreos he knew were hidden back there somewhere. When he finally found them, he pulled out three and sat them on a paper towel. Then he pulled out a small glass and filled it with milk. It was here that Gibbs had to let go of the boy's hand to sit him down at the table.

"I'll be right back with the medicine, okay." Gibbs confirmed at Tony's worried looks. He walked away to grab the bottle of painkillers, letting one fall into his hand as he shock it. When he went back into the dinning room, it was under the careful eye of Tony.

"Here you go. This may help a bit, huh." Gibbs smiled reassuringly and handed the medicine over. Tony gave a small smile of thanks and put it in his mouth. 

It took him several tries to get the medicine down, but he managed it with only half his glass of milk, leaving the rest for the cookies. He'd never gotten cookies this late before and it was kind of fun.

"You know, I was thinking. Maybe tomorrow you'd like to join me in the workshop and help me work on some things?" Gibbs offered, pulling apart one of his own cookies and eating it dry.

Tony twisted his head in question as he chewed his own milk-dunked deliciousness. 

"I guess we haven't really told you about the basement, huh?" Gibbs laughed at his realization. "You'll just have to wait until tomorrow to find out."

Tony glared playfully. He didn't really mind, but it was still fun, sometimes, to play like he did. Gibbs was so good at tons of stuff, Tony couldn't help but wonder what kind of workshop he had. Maybe he worked on cars or made movies or painted! Those would be tons of fun. 

Eventually, after the cookies were eaten and the milk was gone, Tony started to feel sleepy again. He wondered if maybe that had been Gibbs's plan as he tried to keep himself awake. Sleeping meant the bad dreams would be back and he didn't want that. He wanted to stay and talk to Gibbs!

"I think it's time we get back to sleep." Gibbs smiled affectionally at the boy as his eyes drooped. 

Tony shook his head, affectively showing Gibbs just how much the boy really need sleep. He couldn't even manage to open his eyes to do it.

Figuring there'd be no way Tony could walk himself back up the stairs, Gibbs put his hands under his armpits and lifted him off the chair. 

Tony wasn't even really sure what was happening until he was leaning against a large, warm chest. He cracked his eyes to see Gibbs smiling and felt as the man walked across the house and back to Tony's room.

But Tony didn't want to be left alone again, he didn't want to sleep, and he most defiantly did not want to have nightmares again. He just wanted to enjoy time with Gibbs.

Felling the boy toss in frustration, Gibbs stopped. Tony wouldn't tell him what was wrong, so the best he could do was read his body language. And right now, the boy was stiff as a board and seemed very displeased. It was exactly what any other kid his age would do when not getting his way, but this felt different to Gibbs. Tony was holding onto him like Gibbs was the only barrier between the boy and certain doom. And that's when it hit the man.

He let out a sigh and adjusted his grip on the boy. Then walked past the smaller room and the bathroom to his own. 

Tony was confused for a moment before he realized just where he was being taken. Oh no, oh no, oh NO, Tony thought. He'd throw a fit and cried and was asking for too much and now Gibbs was going to do just what the boy's father always had. Tony didn't want that; Tony couldn't deal with that any more.

Tony was bracing himself for the sound of a belt coming out of jeans or a drawer opening to pull out a paddle. He couldn't help the death grip on Gibbs's shirt. He was scared and he didn't mean to be so annoying!

It wasn't until a hand was running through his hair that he realized he'd been crying again, making it hard for him to see. He opened his eyes expecting to be put down on the floor or leaning over the bed, But he only saw Mrs. Gibbs's outline, her soft smile mixed with just a little bit of sadness.

"Hey sweetie. Hard night?" She asked in that voice that Tony just loved. 

He couldn't explain it, he just liked it. She was like that fairy in the Wizard of Oz, always shinning and pleasant. All of the fear from before was draining quickly when he realized they weren't going to hurt him. But he didn't expect to be cuddled either.

"Been up for about an hour now," Gibbs said back for him. 

That was another thing Tony liked: they didn't seem to be mad that he wasn't talking. Even though they knew he could, they just worked with him to try and get what he meant without a word ever leaving his mouth. 

"Oh, you poor thing. Come here, I've got you," Shannon reached out her arms, and Tony was surprised to be handed over like a koala bear. Gibbs wasn't going to punish him?

He'd seen this sort of thing before, in movies with parents. He had always thought it was just a movie thing--that no one ever really did it. But it just seemed so natural to lean into the woman's chest and relax. He was doing it without really even having thought about it. And it was so much more amazing than any movie scene he'd ever seen times twenty. He was going to put this on his like list that Mrs. Gibbs and him had been working on.

It had started as just a way for Tony to get stuff down and let them know how he felt. The good things had food he liked and his favorite movie on it and the bad had spiders and strangers on it. Mrs. Gibbs had tried to get him to add one thing to each list each day and they were up to quite a few now with an official chart hanging on the wall in the kitchen. Tony had played it off as if it hadn't really mattered, but seeing his name in big printed letters on something (not so) secretly made him happy. This would be his good thing tomorrow. And cookies. 

"Shuu, baby, shuu," Shannon cooed, running a hand through his hair again. And Tony felt like he could just sit there forever and let her do that. It felt amazing. "Just close your eyes, sweetie. We're right here; we've got you. Get some sleep. That's a good boy."

Gibbs smiled at his wife's voice, which always seemed to go up an octave anytime she talked to Tony. It was cute to listen to, really. But he couldn't hide the fact that it was working and he was closing his eyes. 

Tony's head was rested on Sharron's chest, left hand up by his face with his right arm laying by his side. His face was slightly smushed against the woman's shirt as he went lax, letting sleep pull him in.

"I think this might be the first time he's ever been held like that." Gibbs said sadly. "When I took his hand to lead him downstairs, he looked as if I just told him every cookie in the house was now his."

Shannon let out a sad sigh, resting her head on top of the soft brown curls. "How could they do that to him? He's just a sweet little boy, he didn't deserve any of that."

Gibbs knew the second her resolve broke, and moved to wrap the woman he loved in a tight hug before tears could fall. "We can't change the past, but we can help him from now on. That's what we have to focus on."

Shannon nodded, kissing the boy's head. "I love him so much, Jethro. It's only been a week, but I feel like he was always meant to be with us."

Gibbs smiled fondly at his wife. "Isn't that why he is now?"

They sat in silence for a moment before Gibbs remembered his promise to the boy earlier. "I think I'm going to take him down to the workshop. See if he likes it."

Shannon let out a small annoyed growl. "If he comes back up stairs with so much as a splinter, it's your head."

"Hey, well take it slow." Gibbs said. "Well start with the table saw and move up to the chain saw."

"Jethro," the woman warned.

Gibbs just sent her a warm smile and kissed her forehead. "We don't even have those tools."

"Good." Shannon laughed. She laid back in bed, settling in for the night. "And now I know that we never will."

Gibbs rolled his eyes and switched off his bed side lamp, then fell to the bed. "Worth a shot."


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, Tony was lulled awake by the morning sun. He was so warm and comfortable that waking up just seemed stupid. Sleep sounded much, much better right then. And then a hand was running through his hair, and he felt like it would be totally okay if he just stayed like this forever.

"Come on, sweetie. It's time to get up." Shannon cooed to the boy still cuddled against her chest. Tony hadn't moved almost all night and Shannon had loved every second of it. But, the early-morning was coming to an end and she didn't want him to sleep too late.

She watched as Tony's eyes cracked open, looking around for a moment before he lifted his head up with an inquisitive look. When sudden realization hit, his head dropped to hide in the blankets.

"Hey, come on, silly. We've got pancakes waiting for us downstairs." Shannon laughed.

Tony wasn't sure what to do. He knew a blush had taken residence on his face and it wasn't any question why. He was a big kid and he didn't need to sleep with anyone. He'd always slept in his own bed--his father had condemned anything else. It didn't matter if it was the first time Tony had gone in a long while without nightmares or that he was so comfortable. He was a DiNozzo, and DiNozzos don't need anyone to take care of them.

His resolve to never let it happen again cracked a bit when Mrs. Gibbs kissed his head. Tony looked back up at her, face bare of the make-up she didn't need. Her eyes stood out beautifully without anything to line them, and her skin was the perfect color for her hair. Tony really liked her hair, too. Long, and wavey in parts but straight in others. Her face was the most open and affectionate thing he'd ever seen, warm and welcoming. Tony was afraid that maybe it was an act, but people didn't fake this stuff--there was just no way they could.

"Come on, silly." She smiled, kissing his forehead once more and swinging around her weight to sit up with her feet hanging off the edge of the bed. Tony was still in her lap and she stood up, taking him with her.

Shannon couldn't help but hug the boy as he tugged on her tightly. It made her chest hurt when she realized why he wasn't used to being held close and carried around. He just hadn't had it before.

It was then that she decided she'd give him enough hugs to last forever.

Shannon was lucky the boy was so light. She usually couldn't lift a kid after they turned six or seven. She didn't want to think about why he didn't weight as much as he should right then, and pushed the thought out of her head.

When they made it down the stairs, Tony had relaxed more into the hold, resting his head on Shannon's shoulder. She walked into the kitchen and gave her husband a kiss on the cheek as Gibbs stood over the stove.

"Ah, so you're finally awake." Gibbs smiled, poking at Tony's stomach. "You hungry enough for pancakes as big as your head?"

Tony looked at him skeptically. Pancakes didn't come that big.

Soon enough, Tony was shocked to say that thought was thrown out the window. Gibbs hadn't been kidding. The thing took up every inch on his plate, and was drenched in syrup and butter.

"Oh, sure, get him loaded up on sugar and send him off to me." Gibbs joked as he took a bite.

Shannon laughed and reached for a knife to help Tony cut everything. Tony could have done it himself, she was sure, but she felt like he was a little awe-struck with his breakfast to even try. Not to mention she didn't want to clean up the syrup had he used his casted hand.

When Shannon held out his fork, Tony took it with a nod of thanks and started eating. He didn't think he'd like these pancakes because they didn't come in a bag you threw in the microwave like they were supposed to. Instead, Gibbs had thrown a bunch of stuff into a bowl and made this weird goo, then threw that in a pan and now he had this pancake monster. But, boy, was he wrong. These were, by far, the best tasting things he'd ever had in his life.

Gibbs shared a smiled with Shannon as the kid dug in. The man was a little mad he hadn't thought to make this sooner when Tony was through half his plate.

He hadn't been eating much and it had Gibbs and Shannon concerned. Which is why Shannon had thought to do the chart, hoping that making foods he liked would encourage him to eat more. So far, this was the only thing Tony had any interest in. They were going to try pizza tonight and see how that worked. But, for now, they'd take the small win.

When breakfast was finished and cleaned up, Gibbs smiled over at Tony. "You ready to head to the work shop?"

Tony cocked his head for a second before he remembered the conversation from last night. He was, once again, dying to see what kind of work shop the man had. He nodded his head quickly, gaining a smile from Gibbs. Tony followed the silver-haired man to the living room and through a door he hadn't noticed before.

He stood in the entrance as Gibbs walked in, flicking on a light to show a large room with wooden stairs. Tony took each step carefully as the squeaked under his feet, letting out a cough as the smell of saw dust hit is nose.

Gibbs watched Tony carefully as he walked in, making sure he was okay with everything going on. He didn't want Tony to be afraid of anything. Instead, the boy just looked amused.

"This is the workshop. It's all hand-cranked stuff, but I think it adds a special touch to the work." Gibbs smiled. "Come here, I'll show you what we're going to do."

Tony walked over, watching as Gibbs pulled something off a shelf and brought it into his view. 

"It's a car, you see?" Gibbs smiled. He held it out to Tony, but the boy didn't reach out for it. "Go ahead, take it."

Tony looked worried, but reached out for the car. Gibbs watched as he turned it around and spun the wheels. 

"Pretty cool, yeah?" Gibbs asked. Sometimes it was hard to be the only one keeping a conversation going, but he didn't have much of a choice. If Tony didn't want to talk just yet, Gibbs wouldn't force him.

Tony nodded, but sat the car back down and looked around the room.

"Well, I was thinking you might like to try something like that with me. We've got tons of wood and the whole afternoon to work." Gibbs was trying to read the kid, but he just looked unsure. Before Gibbs could really figure out why, he saw a small spark in the boy's eyes as they landed on something.

Gibbs followed his eyes and saw what had caught Tony's attention. "You like the boats?"

Tony's attention zapped back to Gibbs, but before the man could give him a smile, the boy's eyes were back on the floor with his hands twisting around his sleeve.

Gibbs didn't even bother asking if he wanted to see one, instead pulling down one of the simpler boats and handing it out to Tony. 

This time, Tony didn't have to be asked and took the boat in his hand. It fit perfectly there as he twisted it around and rubbed along the hull.

"You know, that's a great idea. A boat would be a much better place to start you off with. Good idea." Gibbs said, getting up and turning but only so Tony thought he wasn't paying attention to the red blush across the boy's face.

"We're going to need a good piece of wood and a few different tools. You think you're ready to help, little man?" Gibbs asked, bending ever so slightly with a chunk of oak in his hand, holding it out to Tony.

Tony sat down the boat and nodded enthusiastically as he took the wood.

"Alright!" Gibbs beamed. He walked over to a table set up on the other side of the room and flicked a light on.

"First things first. We got to make this boat look like a boat." Gibbs smiled, holding his hand out for the piece of wood.

Tony handed it over and Gibbs sat it on the table, then lifted Tony up and sat him on his lap. Tony seemed a bit off-put by the gesture, but Gibbs knew he wasn't all that uncomfortable so much as just surprised, and continued on.

"First, we have to mark what we're going to cut. You have to remember that you always measure twice because you can only cut once, okay?" Gibbs felt as Tony nodded his head in full understanding and went on. "We've got to cut of a few of these sides and then we'll have a weird looking triangle, but it won't take long to make it look like the body of a boat."

And Tony followed along closely as Gibbs explained everything he was doing. He named each tool and told the boy what it did, then showed him how to use it. Tony seemed to eat up every second of the attention, loving that Gibbs would hand him the tool after a while of showing how to use it properly and safely to let him work on the ship.

Tony didn't know anything could be this fun. Gibbs kept tossing saw dust off the table and onto the floor, making it explode in a big cloud. He made sure Tony understood everything before moving on to the next, and made sure Tony got to do a lot of the work. 

Gibbs was surprised how quickly Tony was picking all of it up, seeming to master a tool the second he touched it. 

Soon enough, they had the shape of the body roughly cut out of the block and Gibbs was showing him how to carve into the wood to create the inside. He made sure the boy knew to carve away from himself and let him loose at it. This was the part Gibbs knew would take the longest, but Tony seemed to have pushed hours of work into no time at all. And with a broken arm to top it off.

"How'd you do that so quick?" Gibbs asked, truest amazed.

Tony just shrugged, going a little shy as he turned away. 

Gibbs smiled, rustling the kids hair. "Come on, it's time to make the mast."

For this, Gibbs used two poles he already had made out of spruce and used a quick drying glue to stick them together. He showed Tony how to use some cloth and cut it into a triangle and poke holes every inch, then string it onto the poles.

"Now, are you ready for the part that takes the longest amount of time of the face of the planet?" Gibbs asked dramatically.

Tony nodded wide-eyed.

Gibbs sat the boy on the stool as he stood up, walking over to a work bench and pulling out rough-looking paper. When he got back, he picked Tony back up, took his seat on the stool, and sat Tony in his lap once more.

"This is sand paper, and, soon enough, you're going to hate it." Gibbs joked. 

Tony looked at his skeptically, but watched as the man explained different grits as how it was important to go from the roughest to the softest. Then he showed how the worked, rubbing the paper against the side of the boat quickly. Fine dust feel to the table as Gibbs worked quickly, working away some of the rough edges Tony had been silently worried about.

Then he handed the paper to Tony and let him work the inside and outside quickly. They worked through every step Tony liked running his had along the now-soft wood. It felt nice.

Then Gibbs drilled a hole into the bottom where he'd told Tony to stop carving and glued the mast in so it stood straight up, sail happily in its place.

Gibbs couldn't help the chuckle at Tony's gasp and wiggles as he reached for his new boat and held it to his chest. 

Gibbs could feel his heart grow in his chest and Tony looked up at him and wrapped his not-casted arm around the man in and awkward hug. It was the first time Tony had enchained any kind of contact, and Gibbs couldn't help but hug him back. 

In a flash, Tony had jumped of Gibbs's lap and run towards the stairs. Gibbs had a sinking feeling that he may have done something wrong or unwanted to the boy. He didn't think he did anything. But maybe Tony didn't want comfort back and had run off in embarrassment. 

Gibbs ran up the stairs and into the kitchen, heart thumping in his chest the whole way until he heard Shannon's voice.

"Oh my gosh, sweetie! That's amazing!"

Gibbs stopped quick on the threshold of the room. Tony stood with a thousand-watt smile holding up his new boat. 

In the light up here, Gibbs could see that it could have been sanded a little better, the hull was lop-sides, and the mast was a leaning a little to the starboard side. But Tony was too happy to care.

Shannon looked up at Gibbs as he slumped against the wall with a sigh. She gave him a smile that said everything he wanted to hear, and settled his heart a little more from his panic.

"You've done so well, Jethro. Just look how happy he is."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I am well aware that it takemuch longer than a few hours to do this kind of wood work. However, I call creative license because this is an act of fiction and I decided that I wanted Tony to finish the ship and show it off in the next chapter. So nya.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter! Sorry it's so long, I just really wanted to get this segment knocked out in three chapters! Enjoy as Tony meets the team~

Tony sat off to the side in the living room with his boat, running his hands over the sides and watched as Gibbs picked up here and there. It was funny to watch the man folding throw blankets and adjusting pillows on the couch. Even if he was trying to hide his giggles, it was hard.

"What're you laughing as over there?" Gibbs asked after he put the last couch pillow in its place. "Being loud and happy, what's up with that."

Tony hunched his shoulders a bit more to hide his smile. 

"What, man can't help his family out by picking up the house?" Gibbs teased, knowing that he must have been a sight. His team would have loved to catch him playing house wife if only to show he wasn't as big and bad as he made himself seem.

"No, I think he's wondering what kind of apron to get you for Christmas." Shannon chimed in as she walked towards the boy and reached out a hand to help him up. "What are you thinking? Pink or purple?"

Tony was laughing a little harder as Gibbs playfully scowled at him. He looked up at Mrs Gibbs and nodded his approval.

"Hey!" Gibbs said loudly, then went in for a tickle attack, making Tony's knees buckle under him as he laughed. Gibbs caught him and spun the boy around, all the whole attacking his stomach and sides.

A knock on the door was the only thing to make him stop. Gibbs smiled, adjusting his hold on Tony but not setting him down, and yelled at the door.

"It's open!"

The door opened and in walked a woman Tony hadn't really met before. He kind of remembered her from the hospital, but not really.

She had black hair pulled back into two pigtails in the side of her head that reached down to her shoulders and a tattoo of a spider web on the side of of her neck. She wires dark clothing, some of which was covered in spikes.

"Abbs, what's up?" Gibbs asked.

The woman--Abby--smiled a hundred-watt grin that Tony was not expecting. She quickly closed the door and looked up at Gibbs.

"I was just in the neighborhood and wanted to see how the mini-Gibbs was and I figured I shouldn't stop by unannounced, it I really wanted to make sure he was doing okay. I know after something like that it might be hard and such. And when I asked you the other day you just said he was okay and didn't give me any other information and I wanted to make sure you were treating him right, Gibbs. So I had to come by and--"

"Abbs," Gibbs said, affectively cutting off the woman's long winded reply. "I appreciated you coming by, but Tony's great."

Abby seemed to notice then that the boy was tucked close to her boss's chest and smiling amusedly at her. "Hey little guy!"

Tony smiled and waved, not wanting to move just yet. Gibbs was warm and comfortable.

"Oh!" She said, then reached around for her bag and dug something out. "I got you something!"

Shannon and Gibbs shared a look as Tony reached out for the black-tissue-paper-clad box.

"Here bud, why don't you go open that in the living room?" Gibbs asked, setting Tony down. 

Tony took a seat in the couch, not really paying attention to the adults as they talked. He was much too set on opening the box instead. Abby looked kind of weird, but he didn't get any kind of badness from her, so he wasn't as afraid to open this gift as he sometimes was.

Lots of his father's associates would bring him gifts as a way of bribing him. It had kind of worked for a while, until Tony realized what was going on and wouldn't take them. His father didn't appreciated that very much and Tony had been hurting for a weak, but he was never offered a gift again.

This one wasn't like that, though. It wasn't big or expensive looking. It was sweet, with a little bow in the corner that Tony smiled at. So he ripped into the paper and opened the box.

"Abby, he's doing great." Gibbs smiled as they stood in the kitchen. 

"I knew you would treat him right, Gibbs, but I had to make sure. It's my duty." Abby said determinedly.

Shannon gave her a smile and gave a look to Gibbs. "How about we just have everyone over for dinner tonight, hum? I sure they'll all be around every other day, so it'll be good for Tony to get used to them."

"Now that's an idea!" Abby smiled.

Gibbs looked a little more tentative. "I'm not sure. That may be a lot of people all at once."

"That's a good point." Shannon thought. "We can make it easy then. They come, we eat, then he's off to bed." 

Gibbs thought that may work, but he still was worried about overwhelming the boy. "Well, we all need to talk about a case anyway. Might be best to just do it here."

Abby smiled and clapped her hands. "Dinner party!"

Before she could say anything else, Tony was attacking her side with a hug, nearly knocking the woman over.

"Tony," Shannon said, both in warning and question.

Tony beamed up at the group of adults, holding something in his hands.

"I'll take that to mean you liked it?" Abby asked with a smiled.

Tony nodded and held up a movie case to show a collection of John Wayne movies. 

Shannon gave Abby a questioning look.

"Kate said he had a ton of John Wayne stuff in his room when she went to pick up stuff for him. Figured he might be a fan." Abby smiled.

Tony hugged her once more before looking to Gibbs with big hopeful eyes.

"We can't watch it right now, but maybe after dinner, okay?" Gibbs said.

Tony nodded his head and ran out of the room again.

"John Wayne?" Shannon asked, a little surprised. "Isn't that a little before his time?

"Kid's got good taste." Gibbs smiled.

Lasted that night saw an the team sitting around two different tables that had been pushed together to make room for everyone. It was casual and fun, and Tony enjoyed actually joining a business dinner for once.

His father had them a lot, but Tony was always told to stay upstairs and out of sight after welcoming them in. His father's dinners, though, had a much higher standard of dress and setting. Here, everything was laid back. Everyone had shown up in things he figured they'd wear to just hang out with friends and it was so much more homily than anything before.

To be honest, he'd been worried when all these people showed up that night. Too many people worried him. But now, he was happy to listen as they talked and joked and erupted in laughter.

Tony liked Abby, the goth one with spiky jackets. She looked really scary at first, but she was actually really, really sweet. And she seemed to really like Tony. 

McGee was a little weird. He was kind of awkward and a little different, but he was cool. He was the one who had show Tony the dead body after all. Which Tony was still a little weirded out by, but it was cool all the same. 

Kate, he shied away from at first. Tony felt like a very large jerk for harassing her that day. He didn't even know what half that stuff meant, he just knew that it's what's his father would have said. So he ducked his head and didn't make eye contact for a while. At the table though, she sent him a kind, understanding smile. And then Tony was sure she knew he was sorry and it wouldn't happen again. And the rest of dinner was peaceful.

Doctor Mallard made Tony laugh. He said his friends call his Ducky, and, since Gibbs was his good friend and Tony lived with the man, the boy should call him such as well. Adults don't usually have funny nick-names like that, and Tony like that he did. The good doctor also wore a bow tie, which was something Tiny wasn't very used to. But Ducky looked really good and he kind of reminded the boy of the old who Mr Rogers mixed with a bit of Bill Nye.

Gibbs watched Tony carefully as he took in the team, making sure none of them scared or overwhelmed him. But everybody--save Abby--was keeping a comfortable distance and letting the boy decide when to get close. None of them asked questions he wasn't able to answer with a nods of his head, either. Gibbs had told them he wasn't talking and they didn't bring it up.

The conversation shifted to how he was settling in and everyone was throwing around easy questions. 

"Are you settling in?"

"Do you like it here?"

"Gibbs ain't being mean to you, is he?"

"Do you have everything you need?"

And even a, "Got any games yet," from McGee, which made Tony shake his head no, and then look wide-eyes as the man promised to bring one of his systems over one day for them to play together.

"Have you seen his secret wood shop yet?" Abby asked when the question suddenly popped into her head.

Tony nodded yes before jumping out of his chair and rushing into the living room. Shannon called after him, but it was ignored.

Everybody sent worried looks to Gibbs, who took a second to realize what was going on and send them all an "it's okay" look.

Tony ran back into the room and took his seat once more, then placed his boat on the table and pushed it over to Abby who was sitting next to him.

"What's this?" she asked as she picked it up and spun it around in her hands. "A boat?"

Tony nodded his head happily.

"He made that today," Gibbs explained. "Quite the little woodworker."

"Awe!" Abby cooed. "He's just like a little Gibbs!"

The table laughed as Tony blushed a bit, but they only had good words for the boy's first try at the craft.

After dinner, Gibbs walked with Tony upstairs and Shannon held a small conversation with the team as they cleaned up. Gibbs could tell the boy was near dead on his feet, but decided it might be best to not point it out. Instead, he helped the boy into a pair of pajamas and tucked him in, laying a kiss on his forehead. Tony was asleep before he even left the room.

Gibbs joined the group in the living room as they threw around stories of jobs past. Went Gibbs sat down next to his wife, Kate couldn't help but point out what they had all been thinking.

"That kid's found a home, you know." She smiled, sharing a look with Shannon. 

"Selective mutism, whilst concerning, means very little when paired with the smiled that covered young Anthony's face at dinner." Ducky chimed in.

Gibbs nodded his thanks, the best he could really do at that moment. Here, in this house, sat near every person he cared about. His family. And they were all in this for the long haul.

"Alright, enough of the sap. How's this case going?" Shannon smiled, nudging Gibbs's shoulder.

And so, they settled into a conversation about next steps in their current case. 

Abby was happy she dropped by today--unsure as she have been. It was good to see the boy happy after watching him in the hospital bed for so long. And--not that she'd ever say it to his face--Gibbs seemed a lot happier, too. Not to mention Shannon seemed like a huge weight was off her chest. Abby liked seeing them like this. She liked seeing people happy. She liked knowing everything was going to work out in the end.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and Kudos are always appreciated, but never expected!


End file.
